Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 224, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1913 — CRIME TRUST RICH [ARTICLE]

CRIME TRUST RICH

Fences That Split Truck and Loft Thieves’ Loot * Operations of Bandits Are Revealed—* Six Men Comprise the “Receivers’" Trust—Estimated ss r 000,000 Stolen Annually. New York. —Crime is syndicated in New York. There is the pickpockets* trust and the extortioners’ trust and the arson trust, but the biggest of all is the receivers* trust “fiix men,” said Morris B. Moskowitz, assistant district attorney, “comprise the ‘receivers’ trust’ It has been estimated by the Merchants* association that goods to the value of $5,000,000 are stolen annually from the piers and lofts of New York dty. A great share of the stolen staff passes through the hands of the rw ceivers* trust They make wore money than any other group of crime operators in New York.” That means that they make more money than any other group of crime operators in the world, for New York is admittedly the richest field. Mr. Moskowitz did not attempt to compart the total graft in the tenderloin with the illicit gains of the six little fences, who handle the goods stolen from store and warehouse.

“But it is safe to say that by comparison the takings of any other group in the city are lean as mountain bacon." he said. “We hear a great deal about the wire mob. But the wire mob only works once in a while—and then its members scatter for safety. “The receivers* trust works all the time. It is as regular in the conduct of its business as if licensed by the state. You can order stolen goods by telephone or order goods stolen by telephone." Nor did Mr. Moskowitz try to estimate their net profits. Evidently they must share their loot liberally with some one of the privileges of doing business. Isidor Rader, now under conviction in the Tombs, was one of the principal independent operators before his fall. Rader has been candid about his business. "I was a fence for fifteen years almost without interference,” said he. "But I didn’t make much money, although i had 150 thieves working for me at one time. It took too much to keep the police quiet "I had to turn over three of my best hauls to one copper. He split with them fifty-flfty, and I didn’t get anything out of them at all. And there was a guy who didn’t trust any one. He made ’em work where he could watch them. Any time there was anything coming off you bet he got his share." Mr. Moskowitz thinks fully $2,000,000 of the goods stolen from loft and truck and piers pass through the hands of the “six little fences.” His investigations have convinced him their business is well systematized. They have their lawyers and their bondsmen, and their witnesses ready to respond to a telephone call like a bunch of amateur firemen. “I was a little bit in doubt about one man we had under arrest,” said Mr. Moskowitz. “But when his case was called in court I knew be was guilty. There was the trust lawyer, who always defends the trust cases, and the trust detective, who scares away or buys off the state’s witnesses. Later the professionally weeping mother and the professional wife and even an innocently professional babe, appear in court As soon as I saw that squad I knew I had my man." Judge Edward Swann of the criminal court has long been an interested watcher of the crime syndicates here. “It is my belief,” said he, “that every form of predatory crime is somewhat compactly organized. I have referred to the pickpockets* syndicate, for example. I think the use of that term is justified. There are no boards of directors, of course, and no stockholders. But there is a workable organization that is in constant play."